The region along the banks of Lake Victoria that borders Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania is one of the most beautiful in all of Africa. With a mild climate, fertile land, and plenty of fishing it was once a desirable place to live. Situated in a promontory on the lake, surrounded by water on 3 sides, Mbita is a small town approximately 9 hours (by car) west of Nairobi. It sits on a peninsula in Lake Victoria with several islands close by. We can almost guarantee a picture perfect sunrise and sunset every day. Mbita is only about 50 miles south of the equator and is 4,912 feet above sea level. Because of this, the climate is moderately hot and seldom varies more than 20 degrees throughout the year. During the day, it usually reaches between 75-95 degrees F. and at night it “cools” to 55-75 degrees F. The hottest months are from December-March, but most Westerners find it very hot during the day no matter when they are in Mbita. There are two rainy seasons; the long rains are from March to May and the short rains are from October-December. Rainy season typically consists of intermittent rain showers during the evening times and generally doesn’t affect our work unless there is a lot of rains which make the dirt roads difficult to travel on.
The population of Mbita and the surrounding islands is estimated around 50,000 with much of the population living in outlying areas. It is almost exclusively inhabited by the Luo tribe, which is the second largest tribe in Kenya, numbering 2.7 million strong. Because of their close proximity to the Lake, the tribe quickly adapted to fishing as a means of survival. They are the pre-eminent fishermen in Kenya, mainly using gill nets and long-line fishing to catch Tilapia and Nile Perch. They also still use basket traps to catch the tiny Omena fish (pictured), similar to a sardine, that are sold in large quantities. Most of the fishermen use hollowed-out log canoes or plank-built craft of considerable complexity and size. Every night thousands of kerosene lanterns attached to the canoes dot the horizon of the lake. It is called “the city on the lake.” They use the light to attract the lake flies close to the water, which then attracts the smaller fish to the surface and into their nets.
The Nyanza Province has the 2nd lowest per capita income in Kenya. Forty percent of the residents lack basic home needs like food, shelter, and security.
Because it has one of the poorest infrastructures in the country, the Suba District has been one of the hardest hit districts in poverty and unemployment. With only dirt roads that are virtually impassable during rainy season and dangerously dusty during droughts, the district has no electricity and telephone service is unreliable. Bad roads in the Suba District have stifled the growth of the fishing industry and agricultural production. Banks and other industries have refused to start doing business in the district unless there are paved roads.
There is also insufficient and unpredictable rainfall, which negatively impacts crops, livestock, and fish on which these people depend for food and commerce.
Another factor contributing to poverty in the Suba District is that 46% of the population is between the ages of 0-14 and 3.6% of the population is over the age of 65. The people are not able to save money because the economically active population is supporting all the dependents. Fifty percent of the population is supporting the other fifty percent. The few with a reliable income are asked to support their entire extended families; buying food, paying school fees, and other necessities.
Even the thriving fishing business is contributing to the poverty. Every morning when the fishermen return to the beaches, they are paid cash for the fish. Because there are no banks to save their money, they lavishly spend their disposable income on alcohol or on widows and young girls who perform sexual favors for them. So even though these fishermen are earning a healthy income, it is being spent on a daily basis on sinful things.
